Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee's 9-year affair ends with the news of a son, drawing public attention.

The news that film director Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee have recently welcomed a son after a 9-year affair has caused a significant stir in the entertainment industry.

According to multiple media reports on the 8th, Kim Min-hee recently gave birth to a son and is currently staying at a postpartum care center in Hanam City, Gyeonggi Province.

Kim Min-hee's pregnancy news was first reported by 'Dispatch' in January. At that time, the report mentioned that Kim Min-hee was living in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, where her parents reside, and that Hong Sang-soo had reportedly resumed driving lessons in preparation for Kim Min-hee's childbirth.

The two first met in 2015 on the set of the film 'Right Now, Wrong Then,' and despite a significant age difference of 22 years, they developed a romantic relationship.

Director Hong Sang-soo officially acknowledged his relationship with Kim Min-hee during a press conference for the 2017 film 'On the Beach at Night Alone,' stating, "We are in love."

"We are in love."

Since then, the couple has maintained a relationship that is practically akin to cohabitation for approximately nine years, with Kim Min-hee consistently participating in Hong Sang-soo’s various works, not only as an actress but also in crew roles.

Legal marital status and issues regarding the child’s registration come into focus.

Director Hong Sang-soo is legally married. He filed for divorce from his estranged spouse in 2016; however, his request was dismissed by the court in 2019.

As Hong Sang-soo did not appeal this ruling, his legal marital status remains intact, classifying his relationship with Kim Min-hee as an "extramarital relationship."

With the recent news of the childbirth, public interest has shifted toward the issues surrounding the baby's registration.

Legally, there is a method to register Hong Sang-soo’s child as an 'extramarital child' or there is also speculation about the possibility of Kim Min-hee registering solely as the mother.

As the child’s registration is a sensitive issue closely tied to personal privacy, all eyes are on what decision the couple will ultimately make.

Meanwhile, Director Hong Sang-soo has been married since 1985 and has a daughter.

Since publicly acknowledging his extramarital relationship with Kim Min-hee, he has been undergoing divorce proceedings, but after the court's dismissal of his case, he did not file an appeal, and thus remains legally married while cohabitating with Kim Min-hee for nine years.

Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee have collaborated on several works, with Kim Min-hee starring in Hong’s films and winning the Best Actress award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2017 for 'On the Beach at Night Alone.'

Image source: Film director Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee / gettyimageskorea, Film director Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee / News1, Film director Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee / News1.